Cecil B. Stevenson (Grangeville ’53)
Posted: March 19, 2026
Cecil was born September 11, 1932, in Marshalltown, IA. He passed away at age 93 on November 23, 2025, in St. Louis.
He graduated from Kahoka HS in Kahoka, MO, in 1950, going on to receive his bachelor’s degree four years later from Central Methodist University in Fayette, MO.
He and his twin brother, Joseph Stevenson (GAC-53), were both smokejumpers. Both men jumped the 1953 season out of the Grangeville base.
Cecil served in the 11th Airborne from 1954 to 1957, working as a paratrooper medic.
He married Patricia Priest on June 3, 1962, in Waukegan, IL. Wed for 43 years (until her passing), the couple had a son, Dirk. They were expert-level bridge players and traveled widely to compete in tournaments.
Cecil earned a master’s degree from Kirksville State Teachers College in Missouri, going on to have a rewarding teaching career from 1957 until his retirement in 1993. During this time, he also coached high school baseball and basketball, leading many of his teams to district championships.
He and Patricia retired to O’Fallon, IL, and then St. Louis. Cecil loved labradors, baseball, and freshwater fishing. He completed two Chicago marathons and played golf well into his 80s. A highlight of Cecil’s life came on his 80th birthday, when he threw out the first pitch at a St. Louis Cardinals baseball game at Busch Stadium.
